The Final Year
by BookofSpells123
Summary: Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are attending their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, eagerly awaiting graduation. Their hopes for a quiet and uneventful final year are thwarted when pure-blood children begin to mysteriously disappear. While the boys, and their fellow Slytherins, struggle to figure out what happened to their friends, the Ministry, and the
1. Chapter 1

September 1st, 2023

When Albus and his family arrived at Kings Cross Station, he was nearly bouncing on his heels with anticipation. He hadn't seen his best mate all summer because he and his father had taken a trip across Africa. In his letters, Scorpius talked about visiting the Zambezi River where Muggles believe a legendary God resides. This, of course, was not true. The strange events that haunted the area were actually caused by a magical tribe intent on keeping Muggle technology from tainting their sacred territory.

He and his father also visited Uagadou, the only school for magic on the continent. Albus hadn't been particularly interested in the onslaught of letters explaining the magical history of the region. He had, however, been incredibly jealous to learn that Scorpius and his father were able to observe, at a distance of course, a heard of Erumpent that were kept some distance beyond the school grounds.

Albus spent the summer living vicariously through his friend's letters while he and Lily's 'very important' parents worked, and they struggled to find something in common to talk about. Their brother, James, was still in Auror training, and usually came home late, only to grab whatever food he could pilfer from the refrigerator before slumping his way up to bed.

Albus didn't hold it against them. His dad was the head of Magical Law Enforcement, and his mum traveled around to Quidditch games to report on them. She, at least, had taken pity on them by mid-July, and taken him and Lily to see a match between Germany and Poland. He didn't care much for the match, although he did enjoy seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle. It was the one interesting thing he had been able to write to Scorpius about response expressing his envy and asking a million questions. It was then that Albus considered sending his friend a howler explaining just how little there was to envy. He didn't, of course; it wasn't Scorpius' fault that he was a prodigious nerd. If fact, it was thanks to Scorpius' that Albus even knew the definition of the word "prodigious."

"Try not to look like such a lost puppy, Albus." Lily teased. "It's not like you two haven't been writing constantly over the summer. I'm surprised you aren't more exhausted from all that pining."

"Don't you have a gang of loud, screeching girls to find? Sod off." He snapped.

"As a matter of fact, I do." And with that she said quick goodbyes to their parents and bounded off toward the train.

"Albus, I am sure he will be here soon." His mother assured knowingly, turning him to face her gently. She wrapped him into a hug, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek, as he was now several inches taller than her. "I expect more than one Owl a month this year. As your sister pointed out, you are quite familiar with the process." He nodded his promise, knowing full well that he wouldn't.

He turned to his dad, who also pulled him into a (significantly more awkward) hug. "I can't believe this is your last year." He said fondly. "I remember your first year. You were so nervous."

Albus laughed only slightly bitterly. "I remember it, too. You told me that sodding hat would put me in Gryffindor, if I asked."

His father frowned at him. It was a subject that they had never spoken about properly. "And did you? Ask it to put you in Gryffindor?" He asked hesitantly. Something about his tone told Albus that he was very eager to know the answer to that question. He wouldn't have been too surprised if his dad had wanted to ask for a while.

"Yes." Albus admitted. Mustering his courage, he looked up to his dad. "I am glad it didn't, though. Slytherin…fits." He didn't bother lying to himself by saying it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Quite the contrary. His first few years in Slytherin were hell. Even members of his own family had avoided him. But over the years, Albus learned to accept, and eventually embrace, the qualities that made him Slytherin.

He was brave, yet he believed that there was no need for reckless bravery if cunning enough to avoid conflict. He was no Gryffindor. He was smart, although he felt that intellect meant nothing if lacking in the resourcefulness to put it to use. He was no Ravenclaw. He was hard working, but only when determined enough to bother. He was no Hufflepuff.

No, Albus was Slytherin. He was okay with that because if he weren't, he wouldn't have Scorpius. Scorpius _was_ the best thing that ever happened to him. It was only a bonus that his Slytherin pride was a hilarious source of discomfort among his family members.

His dad gave him a smile that he was sure was meant to be understanding, and gripped his shoulder. "I am just glad you are happy, son."

"ALBUS!"

He turned around just in time to be tackled into a bone crushing hug. Albus, who was nearly knocked down by the force of it, registered the blond hair tickling his cheek along with the the familiar smell of expensive cologne, and hugged Scorpius back fiercely.

When the two finally broke apart, Albus thumped his friend on the chest, beaming. "You nearly knocked the breath out of me!"

"Sorry." Scorpius replied, not looking the least bit sorry.

Albus laughed then turned his attention to Scorpius' father. "Did you have a good summer Mr. Malfoy?"

He smiled at Albus with a sort of fondness that was usually reserved for his son, though had been extended to himself in recent years.

"It was quite enjoyable." He replied. Albus ignored his dads slight frown as he extended his hand to shake Mr. Malfoy's. "How about you, Albus?"

"Didn't do much." He replied lamely, regretting it immediately as Mr. Malfoy raised an eyebrow with a trademark Malfoy smirk.

"Did you not vacation over the summer, Potter?" He drawled. Albus hadn't spent a significant amount of time with Draco Malfoy, yet he knew enough about him to know that he would happily exploit any opportunity to come across as a better father than the famous Harry Potter.

Though their parents managed to come to a begrudging cease-fire for Albus and Scorpius' sake, it hardly stopped them from attempting to one-up each other. "The department has been very busy lately, Malfoy, as you know. As the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, I am expected to make certain sacrifices. Lavish holidays, for example."

"Clearly." He replied with his usual air of superiority, although Albus noticed his lips twitch with a repressed smile, while returning his attention back to the children. "We took a few pictures of the Erumpent for you, Albus. If I recall correctly, the Hogwarts library has a fascinating book about their significance in African culture."

"Father!" Sighed Scorpius. "You _know_ Albus doesn't read. He's just going to make me read it to him."

Albus continued to ignore his dad's deepening frown as the rest of them laughed. He understood that it was difficult for him to observe his son being so chummy with his former rival. However, he resigned himself to the fact that it was simply something he was going to have to get used to.

"Have a great year, boys." Mr. Malfoy concluded.

"We will." They chortled in unison as he clasped Scorpius' shoulder a final time. With an affectionate nod, he walked away.

Albus hastily kissed his mum on the check and uttered a quick goodbye before grabbing Scorpius by the arm and dragging him to the train, eager to have his friend all to himself for the first time since their holiday began.

The boys managed to find an empty compartment near the end of the train. Since their first year, they always traveled on the Hogwarts Express alone. Despite having made several more friends over the last few years, they considered the ride to Hogwarts a sacred, annual ritual. It was unspoken, but spending it together was a silent nod to their friendship, a celebration of the place they first met.

Albus locked the door with a wave of his wand before immediately pulling Scorpius into another hug, this time being careful to not squeeze the life out him. Scorpius returned the hug, wrapping his arms around Albus' waist and burying his head into his shoulder. Well past the point the amount of time society allotted for a friendly hug, Albus pulled away and grinned at his friend. "I don't want to hear any more about your amazing summer." He joked.

Scorpius laughed. "Not a chance. I will be slipping it into conversation whenever possible."

Albus stowed their trunks in the overhead compartment after Scorpius pulled out a bag filled with pepper imps and chocolate frogs, along with his wizard's chess set.

Over the next few hours, Albus lost repeatedly while they worked their way through the sweets.

"We made it to our last year. Can you believe it? This will be the best year yet." Scorpius exclaimed as his rook smashed the other's bishop into pieces. Albus wasn't entirely convinced, however Scorpius' enthusiasm was infections.

"It will be the best, whether it's good or bad. Because it will be the last!" Albus mused.

Scorpius chuckled, but withheld a response as he concentrated on his next move.

In truth, Albus _was_ determined to make his last year the best one. Fortunately, after their fourth year, their peers had begun to treat them much more kindly. The rumor about Scorpius being the son of Voldemort had mostly fizzled out, and Albus went almost the entire previous year without being called the Slytherin Squib. Even Polly Chapman seemed to have stopped dropping insults at every possible opportunity.

They weren't considered heroes by anyone's standards. After all, they simply corrected a world ending mistake which they, _themselves_ , had made. Still, it was nice not to be teased or ignored so much.

They were also getting along quite well with their dorm mates, who were never cruel to them, yet certainly hadn't went out of their way to be social. This was largely due to Scorpius making the reserve Keeper position on the Slytherin Quidditch team in their sixth year. His talent could hardly be ignored. This forced them to spend more time with him, and discover that he, and Albus by extension, was not so bad.

Considering the vast improvement to his reputation, Albus thought he might even work up the nerve ask out a girl this year. He couldn't think of any girls he actually liked at Hogwarts, but he vowed over the summer to at least _try_ to get to know some of them. Professor McGonagall started an end of the year ball for fourth through seventh years in an attempt to discourage unsanctioned end of the year parties, and Albus was determined to have a date this year.

He and Scorpius went stag together for the past two years, escaping as quickly as they could. A room full of swooning couples in tacky dress robes wasn't appealing to either of them. Perhaps, Albus thought inwardly, it would be more enjoyable with a date. If anyone would be willing to go on a date with him. Better reputation or no, he still wasn't sure if he was attractive enough to land one.

"Scorp?"

"Hmmm?" Scorpius asked, staring intently at the chess board, strategizing his next move.

"Do you think I'm good looking?" He asked, suddenly nervous. Scorpius tensed up visibly, avoiding Albus's gaze.

"Well," Scorpius replied with some hesitation. "Of course, you are good looking. Your hair is nice, and you have a strong jawbone, I suppose. Your eyes are…er….nice…green. I suppose you bulked up a bit over the summer. Girls like that."

Albus couldn't help but to notice the apprehension in Scorpius's voice. In fact, he looked downright uncomfortable with the question. Clearly his mate was humoring him so he didn't press the issue. He probably shouldn't be asking his male best friend about his looks, anyway. Not that he had anyone else to ask.

It was true that his shoulders had broadened quite a bit over the summer. He thought that must be from Weasley genes, because his dad was slighter than both he and his brother James, now.

"Thanks, I suppose." He replied awkwardly. "Pawn to E4."

It was just as well, he thought, as Scorpius' knight smashed his pawn to bits. His mum and dad wouldn't like the idea of him dating, anyway. He already decided that if he did date anyone, his parents were to know nothing about it. His tosser of a brother had ruined that for him.

Since he let slip to Headmistress McGonagall during sixth year career counseling that he hoped to work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, they hadn't let up on him about getting the N.E. required for the job. They were on him all summer to avoid distractions. Including dating, which they considered the ultimate distraction. At least it had been for James, who spent most of his seventh-year snogging questionably moral girls in empty classrooms. He barely obtained the N.E. required to be accepted into the Auror program, and Albus strongly suspected he wouldn't have done nearly as well had he not been the son of the boy who lived.

He did appreciate the support all the same. He had worried himself sick assuming his parents wouldn't approve of his career choice, seeing as they approved of very little he had done so far. Following the family business of becoming an Auror hadn't appealed to him in the least. His father, however, was overjoyed when he told them he wanted to work with creatures, and scheduled extra tutoring sessions with Professor Hagrid, much to the apprehension of his mum. Albus then had to listen to his dad tell fond stories about Teddy's werewolf father, and his love of magical creatures.

His Aunt Hermione, who started her career in the same department, personally went to the head of the department to secure an internship for him after school. Provided, of course, that he met the N.E.W.T requirements. It paid off, he supposed, having the Minister for Magic as your Aunt. Normally, Albus wouldn't have felt very comfortable using familial connections in such a way. But Hermione was one of the very few people in his family to not treat him differently after he was placed in Slytherin. Her congratulatory OWL arrived even before the one from his own parents. His desire to impress and show his gratitude to her soon outweighed his hesitation about being given an undeserved 'leg up.'

Scorpius had also secured himself an internship in the Hall of Records at the Ministry. Despite his disgraced surname, it couldn't be denied that Scorpius was more than capable (and far too eager, if you asked Albus) for the boring job.

As long as they made it through their N.E. , things would finally start working in their favor. They'd even decided to room together after school. Albus was unapologetically desperate to move away from his family and Draco Malfoy, who spoilt Scorpius at every possible opportunity, having purchased a rather large and expensive flat in Muggle London as a gift for Scorpius for getting the well-deserved internship. It was conveniently located near the Ministry, and Albus strongly suspected that Mr. Malfoy used some form of magic to charm the previous Muggle owners into selling it to him.

"Checkmate." Scorpius declared, jerking Albus violently out of his reverie.

After losing his fifth match, Albus resisted the urge to throw the chessboard like a child having a tantrum, then announced moodily that he was never playing again.

Scorpius laughed as he packed the board into his trunk. They both knew that he wouldn't actually stop playing, at least not until he won at least one game. At which time Albus was sure to boast his greatness, and proceed to speak fondly of the event for years to come.

Ignoring his friend's poor sportsmanship, as usual, Scorpius grabbed a large, dusty book out of his bag and leaned his back against Albus' chest lazily. "Want me to read it aloud?"

"Nah. I fancy a nap." Albus said, wrapping his arm around his friend to pull him close enough to drop his head on his shoulder. After a few moments, Scorpius snuggled a bit closer, seemingly lost in his book, and Albus became very aware of how close they were. They were practically cuddling. Do friends cuddle? He wasn't sure. It wouldn't be the first time he'd questioned their closeness. His own sister had made more than a few offhanded comments about it over the summer.

Albus brushed it off. They had been through a lot more together than normal friends, he reasoned. Besides, he was quite comfortable. Dismissing the thought, Albus fell into a comfortable sleep.

"Albus, get up! It's time to change into our school robes. We're nearly there." Albus' eyes snapped open to see Scorpius was already up, frantically pulling out his Slytherin robes.

"Bloody hell, Scorpius!" Exclaimed Albus, annoyed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Well get up, you lazy git. We fell asleep." He pulled Albus' robes out as well, throwing them at him roughly.

"All right!" He scoffed, dragging himself up.

In a huff, he began to discard his Muggle clothes. Glancing over to scowl at his mate, Albus paused. Scorpius was quickly tugging off his Muggle shirt while hastily pulling on his Slytherin tie. He'd seen his mate without a shirt many times, yet he had never properly looked. Scorpius had filled out a bit over the summer, as well. He'd grown taller, his shoulders were also broader, though not quite as broad as his own.

It could no longer be denied that Scorpius was becoming rather fit. He was still almost unnaturally pale; oddly, it only added to his attractiveness. He was an almost exact replica of his father, with white blond hair and piercing gray eyes; although the Greengrass side of his lineage could be seen in his jaw, which was less pointy than Draco Malfoy's. And in the high cheekbones, which became more defined with age.

He found himself subconsciously comparing himself to his friend. Scorpius was about two inches taller than he was, yet had a thinner waist. His arms were well defined; although, unlike Albus, he hadn't developed strong muscles in his abs. Rather, his stomach was flat, he had jutting hipbones that on anyone else may have looked feminine, but on Scorpius it was, well… sexy.

He begrudgingly tore his eyes away from his friend and began pulling on his robes. It was odd, he thought, that Scorpius didn't have a girlfriend yet. Surely the girls noticed the way his eyes lit up when he laughed, or how he'd toned up since he'd joined the Quidditch team. Couldn't they see the way his fine blond hair shimmered in the sunlight, or how funny his nerdy puns were? Scorpius was clever, attractive, smart; and shallow as it may be, filthy rich. Even Albus couldn't think of better attributes in a partner. The only possible answer for the Hogwarts female populations egregious oversight was Scorpius' last name.

He quickly dismissed the thought. He was acting like a right poofter, staring at his mate's body like that. It certainly wasn't his place to worry about his friends love life. After all, Scorpius had only ever liked one girl that Albus knew of, unfortunately Rose Granger-Weasley was not likely to ever date any Slytherin, much less a Malfoy. Not that she deserved someone as great as Scorpius. Even if she had been kinder to him in the last couple of years.

"I can't wait to get to the feast." Scorpius complained, breaking Albus out of his thoughts. "I'm starving. I should have brought more sweets."

Albus laughed. "Well you could have gotten something from the Trolley Witch, if you weren't still so scared of her."

Scorpius visibly paled, which was quite a feat for someone who was practically transparent. "I can't believe they keep that monster here. Come on, the train has stopped."

The boys arrived in their dormitory after the feast, full and ready to pass out in their comfortable four poster beds.

Their dorm mates were already there changing into their pajamas. Gregory Bole looked up at them and waved. "Hello Albus, Scorpius! Have a good summer?" He was grinning from ear to ear. Something Albus found to be rather odd. The only thing that evoked that much enthusiasm in him was Quidditch.

"I made Quidditch Captain!" He said quickly, before they had a chance to respond. It was obvious that he was bursting to tell them.

"Good on you mate!" Exclaimed Scorpius. He walked over to shake his hand.

"If you keep up your momentum this year, you may just make the team proper, Scorpius. I have a feeling that this is Slytherin's year." Gregory declared, triumphantly.

Albus turned and rummaged through his trunk, pulling out his pajamas while the other boys continued to talk Quidditch.

"We just need to watch out for the Hufflepuffs. Gryffindor hasn't done much since your brother graduated." Malius added, acknowledging Albus "Ravenclaw has been pants for years. Maybe we can tap into our true Slytherin spirits and hex Hufflepuff's new captain before the match."


	2. Chapter 2

September 2nd, 2023

The next morning at breakfast the Slytherin Head of House, Professor Decorus Sapientem, walked down the Slytherin table handing out time tables. One look at his own schedule had Albus pouting dramatically, in the manliest way possible, mind you. "Double Transfiguration right off the bat!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes, but otherwise didn't react to Albus' unnecessarily poor mood. It was the same song and dance every year. Albus complained about his irrational disdain for Transfiguration, his worst subject, while Scorpius patiently listened to his rants, though he'd stopped bothering to reason with him years ago.

This year at least had the potential to be different. Teddy Lupin had accepted the Transfiguration teaching position. Teddy was like an elder brother to Albus, and although they weren't as close as Teddy and James, they were rather fond of each other.

"Albus! We have transfiguration first off with Teddy!" His cousin Rose made her way over, smiling. Her bushy reddish-brown hair was pulled into a bun at the top of her head, which made her look exactly like his Aunt Hermione. "Hi Albus. Bread head," she nodded, acknowledging Scorpius.

"I suppose," he replied apathetically, slightly annoyed to have to hear her high-pitched voice so early in the morning.

"Aren't you excited," she asked, frowning at him.

"I am. But even Teddy can't make me good at Transfiguration," he admitted.

"You'll be fine Albus, just get bread head here to help you." Laughing, she strode away toward the Gryffindor table.

Albus rolled his eyes at her back, then turned back to Scorpius, surprised to see that he wasn't wearing the silly, and rather embarrassingly helpless grin he usually wore whenever Rose came around. In fact, he looked rather grim.

Albus frowned at his breakfast. "Do you still fancy her," he asked, attempting to sound casual, though failing miserably as usual. His friend having a crush on Rose had always bothered him. It wasn't that she was his cousin. Of course, he didn't like that either. The real reason was that Rose and Scorpius simply weren't a good match. Everyone knew it, except for Scorpius apparently. Scorpius was kind and surprisingly humble for someone raised by Draco Malfoy. Rose was an abrasive know-it-all, who was surprisingly prejudice for someone raised by Hermione Granger.

Scorpius shrugged, looking uncomfortable as he loaded his plate with more eggs than he could possibly eat. "I don't think so. I came to a few realizations over the summer. I am still trying to work it out."

"Realizations," Albus asked, raising his eyebrow at his friend who was still scooping eggs onto his already loaded plate. Albus grabbed his wrist to stop him, and felt his friend freeze under his touch. "Mate, are you okay?"

"I'm just not into her anymore okay? She isn't my…type," he trailed off, pulling his wrist free of Albus' grip, stabbing his large pile of eggs rather aggressively.

"Okay mate," Albus replied cautiously. He was torn between being overjoyed that Scorpius had stopped crushing on his cousin, and being concerned about his unusual behavior. "If you want to talk about-"

"I don't," he replied rather loudly. Scorpius huffed, then seemed to gather himself, before darting his eyes around to see that no one was watching. Satisfied that no one was paying attention to them he lowered his voice and added apologetically, "Just not right now, okay Albus?"

Shocked at the outburst, Albus just nodded and stared at his friend in confusion. Scorpius usually talked about everything with him, and he had to admit that it stung a little, knowing his best mate was hiding something from him. Even if it was something as insignificant as his taste in girls.

"Quidditch try-outs are next Saturday. Will you go with me," Scorpius asked after a few moments of strained silence.

"Of course," Albus replied, relieved by the change of subject. "Your chances are good with Trevor graduating last year. And all your practice over the summer." Scorpius had trained with Adrian Browning of the Wimbourne Wasps for a couple of weeks before his trip. There truly was no end to Draco Malfoy's desire to spoil him to death, which made it all the more surprising that Scorpius was so modest.

"I hope so," his friend said, a smile returning to his face. "Father said if I make the team, he will take me to the Quidditch World Cup this summer! You can sit with us instead of your family, if you want to. I know you hate how much attention they all get."

"That would be great," Albus replied, with as much false enthusiasm as he could muster. He very seriously doubted that he could avoid the attention if he sat with the Malfoy's. In fact, that horrible Skeeter women would be delightfully scandalized if Albus were seen in public sitting with Scorpius and his father, rather than his own family. Albus shuttered to think of what wild explanations she would invent. It wasn't as if their friendship was a secret among the wizarding community. It just wasn't something they had flaunted in front of hundreds of flashing cameras before.

The morning post arrived with a familiar rustling of wings overhead. Albus didn't have to see inside to know that the box dropped in front of Scorpius contained sweets as well as books Mr. Malfoy thought he would like. He always received gifts on the first day of term. Some things never changed, Albus mused.

Excitedly rummaging through the box, Scorpius pulled out a book and read the title. A small smile played on his lips as he looked up to Albus. "He must have sent this for you," he said, handing the book to him.

Confused, Albus took the book his friend was holding in front of him. A glance at the cover had Albus' mouth gaping open. "Scorpius," he exclaimed after a moment, when he could form words again. "This is a first edition copy of Flight of the Hippogriff by Harold Griffin!" It was Albus' favorite novel about a boy who goes on an adventure with his pet Hippogriff. It was one of the few books Albus would willingly read on his own, and he'd lost his old battered copy in fifth year.

Scorpius laughed. "Yes, well you know how he is. He probably hopes that you will mention it to your dad because he knows it will annoy him. He must have run across it and remembered you like it."

"But Scorpius, I can't accept this. This must have cost your father a fortune," Albus responded, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice as he rubbed the spine of the book lovingly.

"Yes you can, Albus. You have to! I have never seen my father give a gift this personal to anyone other than me or my mum. He likes you, not just because you make me happy." Scorpius snickered. "He says you are the only decent Potter or Weasley. And he must mean that, if he is squandering my inheritance on lavish gifts for you."

Albus laughed and opened the book. A small piece of parchment fell out with a short message written in the same perfect calligraphy Albus was so used to admiring when he copied Scorpius' homework.

'Albus, good luck on getting the N.E. required for your chosen career. Whenever things become overwhelming escape with Hansel and his Hippogriff for a time to recapture the true meaning of magic.'

Touched and feeling a surge of affection for the older Malfoy, Albus discreetly slipped the note into his pocket without sharing it with Scorpius. It wasn't that he didn't want his mate to see. He just didn't fancy tearing up like a girl in front of the whole school.

The book was one of the most thoughtful gifts he had ever received. With a pang of sadness, he realized that his own dad would never understand him that well, no matter how hard he tried. And his dad did try, all the time.

Scorpius kindly ignored what must have been an obvious emotional moment and began talking about Quidditch tryouts again.

Neither boy could have known at the time, that the real reason Draco Malfoy had taken to Albus Potter so enthusiastically was because he was a perceptive man. A perceptive man that cared very little about anything other than the happiness of his son. His Scorpius Hyperion, who looked at Albus Potter like he hung the moon and stars. And that look had terrified him until he saw Albus look back at his son in the same way.

September 9th, 2023

On Saturday morning, Albus awoke to Scorpius shaking him roughly. "Get up Albus, Quidditch try-outs are in three hours. We need to get breakfast."

Albus groaned as he rolled over, pulling his blanket over his face. He had fallen asleep reading Flight of the Hippogriff for the third time since he got it, and was having a pleasant dream that involved he and Scorpius riding a Hippogriff over Hogwarts.

Scorpius snatched the blanket off him and continued to complain. Albus distantly heard Scorpius muttering things like 'pressed for time' and 'too nervous to sleep.'

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" Glaring at Scorpius the whole way, Albus rolled out of bed and grumbled under his breath all the way to the bathroom. "Bloody git, waking me up before the roosters on a Saturday. How long does it sodding take to eat breakfast? Why am I friends with this wanker again?"

Ten minutes later, Albus was sleepily stumbling out of the bathroom, pulling on a warn pair of jeans along with his Holyhead Harpies t-shirt, only somewhat less annoyed than he had been before he went in.

When he returned to the dorm, he noticed that Scorpius looked rather good. Too good for Quidditch try-outs. He donned a pair of slacks, that were likely tailor made, along with a fine green cloak. The sight of him made Albus collapse in giggles.

"Why are you dressed so well for Quidditch try-outs? Don't you think you will ruin those," Albus mocked. He was used to his best mate dressing like he was some sort of royalty all the time, but this was too much.

Scorpius face was quickly turning red. "You know it's all I have Albus." Scorpius took on a drawl that sounded exactly like a perfect impression of Draco Malfoy. "Malfoys must always conduct themselves in a manner befitting of the Malfoy name. I think I would die of shock if he bought me a pair of jeans."

"Do you want to borrow a pair of mine," he asked, still chuckling at Scorpius' beat red face.

"They wouldn't fit! You are too short," his friend replied indignantly. "The rest of the team will think I'm expecting a flood."

"I'm not that much shorter than you," Albus retorted, feigning offense. "At least borrow a pair of my trainers. There is no way you can fly in those things." Albus gestured to his mate's Italian leather shoes.

"I manage in these just fine Albus," Scorpius defended while looking down at his feet apprehensively.

"C'mon mate. We wear the same size," he reasoned. Scorpius looked at him doubtfully. "They will be more comfortable, I promise."

"Yes, alright," his friend replied, kicking off his shoes while grimacing at the ratty trainers Albus handed him. "They don't match."

"Didn't realize you were so vain," Albus joked, giggling. Scorpius went even more red, if it was possible, before pulling on the shoes. It was adorable, he thought, before internally scalding himself. 'What is wrong you with you lately?' He asked himself. Why had he been noticing so many things about Scorpius that he had never noticed before? Perhaps his sister had been right when she teased him about being too close to Scorpius.

"If you are done scrutinizing my wardrobe, I would like to get some breakfast," Scorpius demanded, after he was done tying the laces. He grabbed Albus by the arm and dragged him to the Great Hall. Blissfully failing to notice the internal struggle going on in the other boy's head.

A few hours later, they were walking down to the pitch. Scorpius had his Firebolt 2000 edition slung over his shoulder. Albus could tell that his mate was nervous, so he talked nonstop about classes and N.E. in an attempt to calm him down. For anyone else that would have increased their stress; only Scorpius Malfoy would be calmed by talk of N.E. .

When they arrived at the pitch, Scorpius looked a lot less queasy; so Albus thought it was safe to leave him, and head up to the bleachers to watch the tryouts, while Scorpius walked down the pitch to stand with the other students trying out.

The Slytherin team consisted of Gregory Bole, the current team captain and Beater. The other Beater was Gregory's best friend, Malius Rookwood. The two previous chasers were Laura Atkins, a fourth year; and Jamie Greengrass, a fifth-year cousin of Scorpius. The third chaser graduated the year before. The team seeker was Louis Weasley, the only other person in Albus' family to be sorted into Slytherin. He made the team last year, in his second year, and was one of the best seekers Slytherin had seen in years. Albus supposed it was the veela in him that made him so graceful and agile on a broomstick.

This left only a chaser position and a keeper position to be filled, as the previous Captain was a keeper, and he had also graduated the year before.

To his credit, Greg allowed anyone to try out for the position they wanted against the standing members of the team. It was only fair, and it usually consisted of a gaggle of second years trying out for the seeker position. Greg released two dozen Snitches to see who would catch the most. A dozen or so hopefuls shot off along with Louis trying to catch as many as they could. Most didn't catch any, which Albus found amusing. He doubted he would have caught any, and he was the son of Harry Potter. After about a half an hour, all the snitches were caught. Louis caught 16, while Greg's younger brother Hector caught 6. Two of the other second years caught one each.

Louis was again named the team seeker, with Hector as his reserve.

Next came the Chasers. As usual, it was made up of mostly second years and a few others. Greg gave each player ten Quaffles and arranged them 200 feet away from the goals. As a process of elimination, no Keeper was guarding the goals. They were expected to get as many goals as possible. Helen and Jamie made all ten goals easily. Only one other player made all ten goals, Peony Nott, a third year that Albus didn't know well. Two other second years made nine meaning that a standoff would ensue.

Helen, Jamie, Peony, and the two others that Albus didn't recognize were to go head to head in a match, along with a second year who had scored eight goals.

Malius and Greg set themselves as Keepers, and paired Helen, Peony, and a second year on one team. The other team consisted of Jamie, and the two other second years who made nine goals each.

After about an hour, Jamie had made fifteen goals, Helen nineteen, and Peony also made nineteen. It was clear to Albus who would be the new chaser. A small second year, who he discovered was named Conner, would be the reserve, as he had made eight goals.

Albus supposed the Beaters would have come next, but no one showed to try-out. Greg and Malius had been on the team together since fourth year, and they were amazing together.

Finally, it was Scorpius's turn. Albus knew how nervous he was. He could feel his friend tense up from this distance. There were five other people going for the keeper position this year. Three of them were fifth years, who were good friends, and had made a bet on who could block the most goals. One was a fourth year, who Albus didn't recognize, and the other was a first year.

"Alright, this should be really simple. Jamie, Helen, and Peony will send as many Quaffles your way as possible at the same time. You need to stop as many as you can."

The fifth years went first. Out of twenty Quaffles, the first only blocked five. He laughed his way to the stands. The other blocked ten, he danced off to sit with his friend, clearly just to gloat. The last only managed to block three.

The first year went next, and managed to block twelve. Albus wasn't the only person impressed by the tiny eleven-year old's accomplishment. Greg and Malius were clasping him on the shoulder.

Albus glanced down at Scorpius, who was watching from the sidelines. He looked even more nervous than he had during the walk to the pitch. He understood why. If a first year managed to secure the position well… Scorpius wasn't an egotistical person, but that would be enough to bruise even him. Then he would inevitably say something like, 'The best man won', but his heart wouldn't be in it.

When it was Scorpius's turn, Albus watched his friend get up and push off the ground. He flew to the goals and began to circle them slowly.

He gripped his seat tightly. From this distance, he couldn't make out his mate's expression, and it worried him. Until now, he'd assumed that Scorpius would make the team without much effort. It wasn't until this moment that Albus considered the idea that he might not. It wasn't Scorpius' ability that he was concerned about, he had talent in spades. Although talent is nothing without confidence. And confidence was something that Scorpius should have, considering how great he was, but that he didn't actually have all of the time.

Before Albus could calm his sudden bout of nerves, Quaffle after Quaffle were being launched at Scorpius. The chasers were whipping across the pitch at a much faster speed than they had for the other kids trying out. Yet with speed and agility like he had never seen, Scorpius flew between the three goals blocking the Quaffles one by one with ease.

After a few miraculous saves, Albus tore his eyes away from Scorpius, long enough to see Greg and Malius exchange an excited look. Of course, he thought, they were pushing Scorpius harder than the others, because they knew he could handle it. And he did.

When Scorpius stopped the final Quaffle, the team flew at him at full speed, and tackled him in the air. Greg was punching the air, screaming in triumph, as the rest of the team were tangled in a mass of hugs and shoulder claps.

As soon as Scorpius could detangle himself from the team, he few directly to where Albus stood in the stands, beaming with pride, and landed beside him. With a huge grin on his face, he pulled Albus into a hug with so much force, that they both fell over, with Scorpius falling on top of him.

"I made it," he shouted above him, surely having broken a few of Albus' ribs.

Undeterred by the pain, Albus pulled Scorpius closer, and wrapped his arms around his friend. "Of course you did. You are amazing."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers! I have decided not to continue updating this fic on _this_ website. I'm not familiar with what is and isn't acceptable here (sex and violence are a dominate theme in this story) and I prefer the freedom of content on Archive of Our Own. Also, it's just not as user friendly to me.

At the time of me posting this, there are already 13 chapters posted there, and more to come, as well as a prequel one shot. So if you like this story so far, please head over to Ao3 and search BookofSpells The Final Year.

P.S- I hope this doesn't offend anyone. I still read on this platform a lot, Ao3 is just my preference.


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